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Customer Reviews (2)

A good read...
I enjoyed reading this book as it gives me an insight into what others feel about death & dying. Well written. I believe this author has a video on death & dying and I would recommend watching it also. Well documented & better understanding on how to care for someone at that end stage.

Insights on death & dying
This book is a good read. I attended a hospice seminar and met Joy Ufema. Her book inspires me to have more insight as to what the pt feels. I highly recommend this book if you're interested in learning through the lens of others.
thanks ... Read more

Product Description
Five years after its first publication, with more than 150,000 copies in print, Final Gifts has become a classic. In this moving and compassionate book, hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley share their intimate experiences with patients at the end of life, drawn from more than twenty years experience tending the terminally ill.

Through their stories we come to appreciate the near-miraculous ways in which the dying communicate their needs, reveal their feelings, and even choreograph their own final moments; we also discover the gifts--of wisdom, faith, and love--that the dying leave for the living to share.

Filled with practical advice on responding to the requests of the dying and helping them prepare emotionally and spiritually for death, Final Gifts shows how we can help the dying person live fully to the very end ... Read more

Customer Reviews (221)

Necessary Read
I wish I had this book prior to my mom's passing.Even though I read it after her death, I found this book very comforting.

For people experiencing hospice
This book is written by nurses who have been on the front line with patients and family in hospice. It is most beneficial and relieves fears of those we are losing. I highly recommend it.

Excellent Understanding For the Needs of The Terminally Ill
This book was so helpful in processing life and death with the terminally ill.It is wonderful insight from a group of hospice care nurses who have experienced this process so many times. Their understanding & insight is so helpful with what to do and look for.Each experience unique, but with underlying patterns we can learn so much from.Excellent for those walking through this difficult stage of life.I really appreciated their help and perspective, good book and easy read.I would recommend it to anyone that is processing or helping others process the journey from life to death.

FINAL GIFTS
Originally I purchased this book from a local bookstore paying full retail. I was thrilled to locate the same book in excellent condition available on Amazon for a fraction of the cost. The condition of the book was better than the seller described which is always appreciated & received within the shipping guidelines. My overall experience was quite pleasant & I look forward to future purchases.

The book is also good reading~ Thanks,

by jacks wife
very enlightening read,, just recently had a death in my family, book is right on the money. ... Read more

Product Description
A ministry resource comprising twenty essays by experts on the theological, psychological, and personal dimensions of loss, dying, and death. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

"Grief, Dying, and Death: Clinical Interventions for Caregivers" by Theresa A. Rando
I find Theresa Rando's book very timely and interesting. That's as a caregiver in a hospital setup it just become apparent that you can only help people grieving by first getting in touch with your own visceral feelings. And that's where she started it. Thus until one permits herself or himself to feel what is normal and natural of grief situation it becomes a mirage to be able to help others.
By the author's skillful and indepth discussion on Grief, the Reaction to Loss, she brought to bear all the processes which often times either exaggerated or minimised in some books. Thus by exposing what goes on in the shock, disbelief, denials and all other psychological manifestations of grief, there is no doubt that whoever gets this book is on the way to becoming agood caregiver in whatever situation.
Finally, I believe the author's work on The Dying Child made her stands out among many authors. The issue of societal reactions to the death of a child, the challenging reality of childhood terminal illness, and basic principles of care for the dying child among others points to the fact that, Theresa has left a landmark yet to be discovered by many.
I found this book as a basic textbook, reference book, and a dictionary for grief and all death and dying topics that come my way in my caregiving activities and write-ups.

An important boo in the field
If you liked this book, also try "The Healing Journey Through Grief" by Phil Rich. There is also a Clincian's Guide available. This book is one in a series of self help journaling books designed to helppeople through life issues, and breaks the process into clear cut stageswith information and journaling exercises throughout to help peopleunderstand, write about, and work through their issues and difficulties.Theother books in the series, all by Phil Rich and other co-authors)include abook on journaling for individuals (The Healing Journey) and one onjournaling for couples("The Healing Journey for Couples") andothers ("The Healing Journey Through...") on divorce, menopause,job loss, retirement, and addiction.

Good resourse for counsellors, although somewhat redundant.
I found Rando's book to be very valuable in understanding grief and loss and the reactions that people have to both.

I spells out normal and abnormal reactions to loss and how to assess someone who may needsupport.

I recomend this book, however, many of the chapters repeatthemselves and the basic concepts could have been written in a book halfthe size.

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (24)

Healing energy
This is a wonderful book written from the heart.Since a revised version is coming out soon, it was difficult to find a used copy, but I did. This seller was prompt and the book arrived in the stated condition.Would use this seller again.

Kleenex alert!
This is one of the most unique, touching, and helpful books I have ever read on death and terminal illness in pets.Rita offers the reader excellent advice and comfort in helping a pet (and owner) through illness and dying.As a veterinarian and a facilitator of a pet loss support group, I find myself reaching for this book more than any other "death and dying" book. Highly recommended.

A beautiful tribute to a beloved pet
I loved reading this special book on the passing on of beloved pets.
Even though we still are full of grief, it consoles us emotionally
that all pets go to heaven because they are so inocent,caring and
give their owners unconditional love.The author does an excellent
job with her opinions and loving stories about how we can deal with
a pet's death. It's a tear jerker too as well as alot of happy moments.
I recommend this book to all pet owners whether its dogs,cats,horses,
birds,etc.Thanks again, I truly loved it. Becky S. of San Antonio,TX.

Walt "DIZ" Disney
On 11/29/08 at 4:20am, my little Pomeranian did the one thing he had never done in his 14 years with me, Diz broke my heart.We had struggled together for the last six months of his life so that he was pain free, played with his favorite mini-tennis ball and for the first time had canned dog food. His teeth were bad, he had a bad heart murmur, he had a collapsing trachea.But we lived those six months together.The main thing was, he was happy and playful and loving throughout that time.I was so much more loving of him than ever.That Saturday morning at 4:20am at our Vet as he went to sleep for the last time I just could not believe that something that had such vitallity every day including Friday could just be gone.Poof.I was lost.I am still grief stricken - it's been 50 some days.I needed the book to read and share the feelings of others that had lost more than "just a dog".I've heard it said, "that just a dog was what made me a more loving, caring and better human".Diz was my soul mate.I don't believe we find our fur children, they find us with Gods Blessing.I found Diz by chance, spent money I did not have and he was worth more than I will every have.Reading others stories makes me cry again, but I know that someone else felt or feels as I do.Janis

Amazing and a MUST read!
I can't even begin to tell you how much this book has blessed me. I work at a Vet and often times, I am present when animals make their transition. This book has given me ways to help the animal as they make that journey and it has also allowed me to bring comfort to their owners/parents in new ways as they begin their own journey without them physically. I highly recommend this book and I thank Rita from the bottom of my heart for the beautiful work that she does! ... Read more

Product Description
Dying the Good Death is a unique ethnography, the first to focus on the experiences of dying at the end of the life cycle. In a region of northern India, some people at the end of their lives leave their villages and travel to the Hindu holy city of Kashi to die. These pilgrims expect that by dying in Kashi they will obtain the spiritual reward of moksha--liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth.

Based on fieldwork conducted in Kashi's hospices or "mansions of liberation," Christopher Justice introduces us to a number of dying individuals and their families, providing rich and evocative descriptions of their remarkable experiences. The social contexts of these experiences are explored through descriptions of the families who provide care and the priests who chant the name of God twenty-four hours a day. The book also has clear implications for the potential ways in which we may choose to face the ends of our lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book, but not for universal interest
Since this book is a discussion of the death rituals and practices among the bhavans within Varanasi, India, interest in this book will only come from a select reader.For my own research purposes, this book was fantastic.In researching the death rituals of contemporary Hindus in Varanasi, one of the holiest cities connected to Hinduism, Justice's work provided a great deal of information and detail about that very subject.If you are looking for a general interest book in Hinduism, this book is not for you.If you are researching Hinduism in India, you might check out this book and also look at Justice's bibliography.Justice's book is among the few that deal directly with death in Varanasi, along side classic authors like Gold and Parry. ... Read more

Product Description
This book, presented by a skilled animal communicator and spiritual healer, gifts the clarity and perspective of the animals' viewpoints on dying, death, and euthanasia, to loving care-persons wanting to make conscious decisions involving the lives of animal companions entrusted to them, thereby minimizing grief and dispelling doubt. Told from the perspective of the author's life experiences and loving stories from the animals, the basic message of the book is one of love everlasting, eternal and infinite spirits in finite bodies; and that the correct knowing and correct action for the well-being of our beloved animal friends will come from the compassion and mercy of a loving heart. The book includes processes to connect with this knowing, to help guide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Painful to read
Reading this book just days after I had my beloved 18 year old cat put to sleep was very painful.She had kidney failure and if I had waited until stage 3 of the dying process as recommended by the author, it would have been extremely distressing for both of us.My cat looked to me as her mother and I know she wanted me to do something to make her feel better, but I had run out of options. I had her put to sleep at home before she was quite ready to go because I could not bear to see her get any more distressed, let alone have to drive her to some emergency clinic in the middle of a cold winter night.Elizabeth Severino does not acknowledge just how agonising such decisions can be. I talked to my cat a lot, said prayers for her and tried to prepare her for her transition. I think the book should have offered more guidance about spiritual preparation for euthanasia and continuing support after death for an animal that may be confused by the dying process, as the author says.

This book really helped heal my broken heart!
I had the honor of discovering Dr. Elizabeth Severino (Dr. Liz) after the tragic loss of my 1 year old cat to uncurable FIP disease and 2 year old chinchilla to untreatable maloclussion in 2005. (I wish I'd known about her sooner). Her extraordinary animal communication gift and her skill at Quantum Biofeedback Energy Healing has proven amazing in my animals' lives. If I hadn't seen their positive responses and healing for myself I would never have believed it was possible.

Dr. Liz helped me recently through the sad loss of another dear chinchilla. She was 8 and had cancer.This book was a Godsend to me and I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed the background of how Dr. Liz grew up and her relationship with animals and when she realized what her life's purpose was after a near death experience.She has communicated with animals of all kinds across the world and she really was instrumental in putting forth the animals' viewpoint on this very important topic.

This book helps you to know when your animal is at one of the various stages when they are ill or dying, and when they want to continue fighting, and when they want to be released from suffering.The very sad day I ended my chinchilla's life in the exotic vet's office was eased by knowing she was going to a better place, and that she would no longer have cancer and would be filled with joy. The cancer was inoperable and she could never have continued to live a normal, pain-free life. The beautifully written poems in the back of the book were so helpful and brought many tears to my eyes as I read them lovingly aloud during her memorial.

There are many books about life after death for our companion animals, but none other than this one that really help us understand the animals' own viewpoint on the dying, death and euthanasia process. This book will bring you peace and is well worth owning. I can't recommend it more highly.

This book is priceless.
I read this book once from cover to cover and then again, in different sections, up until my dog's final hour here on earth.The book spoke to me like no other.

In the end, I felt a peace for my dog and myself.I held my dog as he took his last breath with love and grace.There was no fear or remorse.

I encourage anyone who is facing tough times and hard decisions for their animals to read this book.It was incredible.

Wonderful
A lovely book that helps one understand the animal's views on death and dying which are so very different from humans. We as humans resist death whereas animals accept it as nothing more than the natural process of life. It helped my husband and I be more at peace when we had no choice but to euthanize our sweet Samoyed, Tassy, this past Christmas. This woman truly understands animals and has a true gift of telepathic communication with them. This book is a wonderful gift to all of us that deeply love and bond with our animals.

A must read for "pet parents"
This book is an absolute "must read" for all "pet parents" - especially those faced with a "fur baby" who is very ill or injured.It is full of wisdom and compassion and information that you really need - delivered in the best way for you to really "get" it.

This information was given to Dr. Elizabeth by the animals themselves - who told her that they had chosen her to deliver their message to the humans of this world.She did an awesome job of delivering their message! ... Read more

Product Description
Although Americans are living longer than ever before, there is concern about the quality of life as it draws to a close. Options regarding nursing care, living wills, pain management, and counseling present a bewildering array of options from which choices must be made, often under difficult circumstances.

Death and Dying Sourcebook provides up-to-date information on these issues so that the layperson can make intelligent decisions. Topics covered include pain management, end-of-life care, the hospice program, the effectiveness of living wills, the ethical and legal ramifications of euthanasia and assisted suicide, coping with the death of a child, organ donation, cryogenics, and life support systems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An essential reference work.
Death and Dying Sourcebook provides a compilation of the latest information on death and dying in the U.S., from statistics and cultural attitudes toward death to health care for the terminally ill and end oflife medical care. The result is a handbook of basic consumer details whichcovers everything from organ donation and hospice programs to planningfunerals and handling ethical issues - an important handbook of facts andadvice. ... Read more

Product Description
Death, as a social ritual, is one of the great turning points in human existence, but prior to this classic work, it had been subjected to little scientific study. American perspectives on death seem strangely paradoxical - the brutal fact of death is confronted daily in our newspapers yet Americans are unwilling to talk openly about the process of dying itself. Awareness of Dying, using a highly original theory of awareness, examines the dying patient and those about him in social interaction. It gives readers a language and tools of analysis for understanding who knows what about dying, under what circumstances, and what difference it makes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Awareness of dying, awareness of good research
First, let me state that I only decided to purchase this book because of its place as an exemplar of qualitative research. I did not buy the book because I have an interest in medical affairs. I only mention this because I had no way to judge that aspect of the book. Anyway, this book is a useful example of how to write up qualitative social science. It's strength rests in the fact that the authors are able to create with much success the details associated with the experience, as well as the meaning of these events for those involved. This is an important step in making one's research relevant for those reading it, and this book's authors get it. All in all, one of the more enjoyable examples of this type of research. ... Read more

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This landmark text on the sociology of death and dying draws on contributions from the social and behavioral sciences as well as the humanities, such as history, religion, philosophy, literature, and the arts, to provide thorough coverage of understanding death and the dying process.

The text focuses on both individual and societal attitudes and how they influence both how and when we die and how we live and deal with the knowledge of death and loss. Robert Kastenbaum is a renowned scholar in the field who developed one of the world's first death education courses and introduced the first text for this market.

Product Description

By comparing the findings from Kalish's and Reynolds's landmark 1970's Death and Ethnicity Study to their own present study, Hayslip and Peveto examine the impact of cultural change on death attitudes.

• the shift toward more interest in being informed of one's own terminal prognosis
• a more personal approach to funerals and mourning observances
• a greater focus on family and relationships
... Read more

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The academic study of death rose to prominence during the 1960s. Courses on some aspect of death and dying can now be found at most institutions of higher learning. These courses tend to stress the psycho-social aspects of grief and bereavement, however, ignoring the religious elements inherent to the subject. This collection is the first to address the teaching of courses on death and dying from a religious-studies perspective.

The book is divided into seven sections. The hope is that this volume will not only assist teachers in religious studies departments to prepare to teach unfamiliar and emotionally charged material, but also help to unify a field that is now widely scattered across several disciplines. ... Read more

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How do we learn to die? Most of us spend our lives avoiding that question, but this luminous book--a major best-seller in France--answers it with a directness and eloquence that are nothing less than transforming. As a psychologist in a hospital for the terminally ill in Paris, Marie de Hennezel has spent seven years tending to people who are relinquishing their hold on life. She tells the stories of her patients and their families. de Hennezel teaches us how to turn death--our loved ones' or our own--from something lonely and agonizing into a sacred passage. She discusses the importance of an honest reckoning, the value of ritual, the necessity of touch. In imparting these lessons, Intimate Death becomes a guide to living more fully, more intensely, than we had thought possible.

"Unique...Of all the books I have read about the endings of our lives, this elegiac testimony has taught me the most."--Sherwin B. Nuland, M.D., author of How We Die


"The quiet, obvious truths [de Hennezel] discovers in her work--these things have a kind of cumulative power."--Washington Post Book World ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Excellent book!
This is one of the best books I've ever read on Death & Dying!This book is inspiring and touching beyond comprehension!This author comes across as sincere and compassionate!She and Stephen Levine should get together to collaborate on project, as he too is a wonderful writer on the subject.Anyway, I wish every person in the world would read this book! I initially read this book when I was getting grief counseling through Hospice, but since, I've bought several copies for family and friends!

A Warm Loving Book about Death
If a book about death can be beautiful "Intimate Death" is such a book. This book is lovingly translated by Carol Brown Janeway. She retains the warmth of Marie de Hennezel's writing. Marie de Hennezel is a psychologist in a hospital in Paris. She writes eloquently about some of her most memorable patients.

What would you do if a patient asked you to kill them so they didn't have to go through the natural painful process of death? How would you communicate with someone who is totally paralyzed? Should you explain that a patient is dying or keep the information just between you and the family? How do you deal with doctors who view death as a defeat?

Marie de Hennezel answers many questions that might otherwise go unanswered. She believes that you should die with dignity and when a patient is ready to die she calmly accompanies them on this journey.

What impressed me most about this book is how lovingly the patients are treated. You would imagine Marie de Hennezel to be drained by the experience of being in the presence of so many individuals passing to the next life. Yet in some way she becomes more aware of the beauty of life itself.

I feel this book would be especially beneficial to doctors, nurses, hospice care workers, psychologists and family and friends of the dying. There is one brief mention of a near-death experience but mostly this book does not discuss what happens after death.

I feel that to tell too much about this book would ruin its impact. It is best just experienced in a quiet contemplative moment. After reading this book you may feel compelled to listen to Faure: Requiem and other choral music. It is mentioned in this book as music a dying patient loved to listen to and is truly beautiful.

~The Rebecca Review

Unfinished Business
The subtitle "how the dying teach us how to live", had a unusually specific meaning for me. As I watched my emotional response and empathy to the conversations between Hennezel and terminally ill patients, I began to notice how many patients wanted to die earlier, not later, until, that is, their conversation with Hennezel. And, in each case, the patient was glad to have lived another few days, weeks or months because, during the conversations, they had resolved some outstanding issues about their lives. As Hennezel helped them awaken to the value of attending to unfinished business, I realized how much unfinished business I have myself.Or, put another way, I see the backlog of things-I've-hoped-to-do (since retirement) through the lens of "unfinished business."

The conversations between Hennezel and her terminally ill patients are invariably moving because of the warmth that Hennezel and the nurses on the staff extend to their patients.On pages 47-50 Hennezel refers to the field of Haptonomie (found in the French (but not the English) Wikipedia) associated with Frans Veldman which is about the importance of affection and human touch for "affectivity."This is as widely appreciated around child birth as it is under appreciated at the time of death (in the US at least).Hennezel and her co-workers implement this affectivity in their palliative unit for the dying and I think the articulation of that practice is much of what makes this book so emotionally moving, at least for me.

I can open the volume to any pages and within minutes I'm teary eyed.It's the depth of my emotional responses to the moving conversations that keeps me on my new track of attending to unfinished business. I dare not read the whole book in one setting -- perhaps 10 pages/week will keep me moving on what is genuinely a new path for me.I keep wanting to buy a crate of these books and hand them out on the street corner but, afterthe 1973 publication of Earnest Becker's The Denial of Death, I realized that issues surrounding death are not for everyone.

I wrote everything above almost a year ago but since returning to the book time and again, I now realize something I had not fully appreciated, viz., just how many people in palliative units are begging for an injection to enable them to die.If most adults fully realized how they will likely feel about dying once they approach those final days (in a first rate palliative unit as well as nursing homes with fewer resources), I suspect the laws against euthanasia would be off the books.I think that Becker's phrase, "denial of death," helps explain why euthanasia remains illegal in countries like the US.The inevitability of death gives meaning to life and Hennezel's excellent book facilitates greater presence to the death of others, to one's own mortality and, hence, the value of living.

Hospice Psychologist Cuddles Her Patients!
Marie de Hennezel sits on the beds of hospice patients, holds their hands, touches the painful places, and even rocks them while they have their bandages changed or cry from grief. This hospice psychologist is as comfortable with touch as with silence. She doesn't shy away from murmuring endearments. She seems to know the most helpful and comforting words to say.

I loved each story, including de Hennezel's struggle with her 86-year old father's suicide and her friendship with French president Francois Mitterand, who visited her palliative care unit to see the peaceful ways in which people can die when given proper pain control and compassionate psychological support. When Mitterand was diagnosed with cancer, he asked for her. So would I!

This 1997 book is heartfelt and informative. It is almost as good as the new book From the Start Consider the Finish: A Guide to Excellent End of Life Care, written by a mother-daughter hospice team Susan Dolan and Audrey Vizzard. This little gem contains practical information, engaging stories, and unexpected humor.

Both books show that a good death is not necessarily a quick one with as little suffering or consciousness as possible. The dying process can involve immense personal growth, precious transformation, and deep spiritual peace.

Marie de Hennezel was born in the same year I was, 1946. I would love to meet this extraordinary death doula before I die.

Nancy Manahan, Ph.D., author of Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully - A Journey with Cancer and Beyond

Every Hospice Should Have Several Copies
My sister and I are caring for her husband at home. He has only a few more days to live.The hospice people are great, but they could not tell us what this book has told us about what to expect now at the end of his life.It has been tremendously helpful for both of us to read this book.I will be buying copies for many people and organizations in the coming years. ... Read more

Product Description
Milarepa, the prince of yogis used to sing: The fear of death has led me to the snowcapped mountains. On the uncertainty of the moment of my death I have meditated Thus I have reached the immortal stronghold of true essence My fear has vanished into the distance.

Later, the great sufi poet, Jalal Od-Din Rumi was to say: "Our death is our wedding with eternity."

Not so long ago Sri Ramana Maharishi, the wise man of Arunachala wrote the following in one of his rare books. Those who fear death intensely only take refuge at the feet of the Supreme Lord whom neither death nor birth can impress. Dead to themselves and to all possessions, how could the thought of death arise within them? They are immortal!

We will almost certainly never be as certain as these sublime beings. At best we will have hope and at worst we will experience the anguish of nothingness.

Death who are you? What do you have in store for us? Will you end with all encompassing darkness the fleeting moments of several decades of life? Will you open a window onto other worlds, other splendors and other hells for us? From the scientist for whom awareness and brain are irremediably linked to the sage who during this lifetime has realized immortality, there are many responses.

Buddhism asserts that beings live on eternally beyond the impermanent fluctuations of this life. Death is not a definitive end but just a passage to one of the three other states: - a rebirth in the world of human beings or in another world of the cycle of conditioned existence where a constant flow of joys and suffering goes on; - the entry into a "pure land", domain of luminous manifestation as we shall see as this book unfolds; - the flowering of the ultimate nature of being as a pure, non- dual, unlimited all-knowing and all-loving consciousness, which is called Buddhahood.

It takes an entire life of labor to prepare for these achievements. Nonetheless, when time comes, there is an "art of dying", an ars moriendi as it was said in the Middle Ages. Such will be the main thrust of this work even though a general description of death had to be provided and is contained in the first chapter. The real issue, the one from where it will be pointless to divert oneself with fine theories is as follows: how can we turn our death into a positive expansion? Such was the question we asked Bokar Rinpoche and which he answered in the precise frame of Buddhism and, more particularly, within the Tibetan tradition. Another essential issue is how can we accompany those who are leaving before us and what can we offer them by way of a pleasant journey? As curious it may seem when dealing with a subject like this, this book is intended to be more practical than philosophical. May this book ensure that our last moment is also the most beautiful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

TO READ THIS BOOK WAS TO RETURN TO HER WORKSHOP
Recently I was asked to do a presentation on Elisabeth Kubler-Ross for an adult education class.As Elisabeth was my friend and mentor after I attended her 1985 workshop, and I was her contact person for Ontario, Canada, it gave me great pleasure to review her work and insights again through a book she had given me personally in 1996, after her retirement.I have read all her books, but found this one beautifully encapsulating what she gave her workshop participants.It's a compilation of her talks in many venues, and her personality and sense of humor come across strongly.It's a quick read, but once you open its pages, it's hard to put down.And after reading it, her timeless teachings of unconditional love and looking after one's "unfinished business," remain to prod the reader.Thanks, Elisabeth, for taking me back to a turning point in my own life story.

Death Is Of Vital Importance; On Life, Death and Life after
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's compilation of talks is just stunning in its simplicity.Since the '70's I have practiced, studied, looked into spirituality and healing.She has just covered all major points on how to live with yourself and others for maximum life experience while taking you on an intimate journey of her own life's unfolding.My heart is deeply touched and this gives me even more hope for a full life lived in the present moment. It is especially pleasing to me to hear this from a medical doctor.She and Deepok Chopra are such a gift to the masses.

Helping with the Death Process
This book helped me to reaize what was happening to my loved one when he died.

I wanted to find another Kubler-Ross book but this was the only one available. This book is a collection of lectures that she gave ontour.

Even tho my loved one was an adult, the stories of how childrenviewed death helped me to understand that usually, a person knows when theyare dying and find ways to prepare themselves for it.I could relate it tothings that had happened in my loved one's life.I have shared this bookwith others.We felt a great sense of peace and comfort from learning howdeath affects the young and the old.

Especially interesting was thecomforting thought of the process of death--what happens at the time deathoccurs.Also the hope of an afterlife.

I recommend this book to anyonefacing the death of a loved one.

Imperfect but appealing
This is a collection of Kubler-Ross's lectures on death.Her pleasant personality comes through consistently, but her thinking here is less-than-rigorous.For example, she claims that a boy who died of a shark attack knew that he was going to die before he ever entered the water.Similarly, Kubler-Ross uses her expertise on dying as a license to lecture her readers on barely related topics such as child-rearing and everyday behavior, and to put forth comforting but vapid New Age views.I greatly admire her more scholarly first book, "On Death and Dying," but this later collection is best left to readers who are unable to process serious material. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A well-grounded buddhst book on the dying process with practical implications.
Lama Shenpen Hookham is a British Westerner with a solid grounding in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She has a gift for teaching in an intuitive style which encourages her students' independence and creativity. In other contexts, her analysis and teaching of the role of words, their meaning, and their inner resonance, brings out the inner dimension of language and its role in Buddhist teaching and practice.
This relatively brief book combines the best of two traditions of writing on death and dying: firstly, she addresses practical concerns about dying, and secondly, she addresses the Buddhist practices and beliefs around the process, including a knowledge of the so-called "Tibetan Book of the Dead" (Bardo Thodol Chenmo).
This makes for a powerful combination, giving useful and heartfelt advice. One feels as if one were sipping a cup of tea with the Lama, cozily sitting by a fire during a cold night in Wales. As a friend and a Lama, she delivers simple yet profound and practical advice, combined with heart-felt humanity and warmth. This is a book not only on death and dying, but on how to conduct one's life. It is said that if my next step is the right one, I will be at the right place in a thousand miles. This is the core message of this book. I highly recommend it for the reader now, when death does not seem so near. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines how each of the major religions looks at death by including stories, teachings and rituals that present a comparative religious meaning of death and afterlife. Written in textbook style with journal exercises at the end of each chapter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A good start, but...
I'm really quite torn when it comes to making a judgment about this book because I feel that anything critical I have to say about it needs to be highly qualified in reference to this book's strengths.I had better start with the strengths then.

This is the premier, affordable, death and dying textbook.To the best of my knowledge you will not be able to find a survey of world religion's views of death and dying for under $15.This is really an accomplishment that deserves no small amount of credit and one that you have to acknowledge.If you are looking for a good place to start on this topic, here it is.

However, I have some concerns with this book that need to be mentioned.The first issue is that at times it is exceedingly evident that the author is by far an expert in every religious sub-discipline.Honestly, it would be a monumental accomplishment to pull off that degree of authenticity in a single-author survey of any sort, especially when covering a field as diverse as "religion."Nonetheless, the author doesn't deliver in a few chapters, such as the Judaism and Greek chapters. To further explain, such chapters do not appear to be very well organized.This is both in the sense of organization and assembling material.For example, the organization leaves much to be desired in the Hinduism chapter.In my opinion, some core philosophy, which is brought up later on, needs to be moved to the front to better frame the elucidation of death.I feel that more immediate personal and social issues are addressed with the philosophy pushed to the periphery, but due to Hinduism's nature, I do not think this is a very good approach.Concerning the assembly of material, some chapters seem loosely tacked together, such as the Judaism chapter.It is as if the author found four or five references to death and dying and made them the key points of the chapter.But, seemingly little care is spent explaining how the ideas link up with each other.At times, the cracks between the pieces are glaring.But again, in this case, I must give the author credit as Judaism has a VERY ill-defined view on death, so any attempt at breadth will ultimately appear eclectic.In both cases, it is made quite evident that the author is far from an expert in all fields of religion, which tends to make this book appear a little superficial and may frustrate the reader.

The only other book I would consider on this topic is Bregman's anthology, "Death and Dying in World Religions," but its weaknesses are Kramer's strength.For example, as the Bregman book is an anthology, its tones, perspectives and writing styles vary quite a bit whereas Kramer is very consistent.Also, some authors in the Bregman book make assumptions about the reader's degree of exposure to the religion at hand, whereas Kramer is rather thorough with filling in of background information.

One last complaint of mine is the use of pictures in Kramer.They seem quite out of place and oftentimes either garish or childish.Two that stick out for me are full page smiling Buddha and Abraham with Isaac.Why these were chosen or found appropriate for a textbook is beyond me.

I hope that I have presented my concerns clearly enough and also demonstrated my respect for Kramer to a sufficient degree.This book, without question, is a good (if not the best) place to start if you are curious about how various religions address death, but you may want to look at an additional source (Bregman?) for more balance and continuity.

Kramer's course
I had the luxery of not only reading Kramer's book, but also took a course along with it.Kramer taught for a short time at San Jose State University, Death Dying & Religion. Of course, being the source of a book, it was intreguing to hear his arguments and views about each religion.Kramer describes in detail the geographical location of each religion and how similar each religion is, and how it ties in the same very locations that each religion has, with their own interpretations.I decided to look up his book, simply because I saw a Barbara Walters special on Heaven, which reminded me of Kramer's course. This book is definitely a text book, but if you have any questions on why so many countries hate America based on their religions, perhaps we can better understand them but comparing them to your own views on religion.Even within the Christian religion, the differences are there.History runs high even amongsts Buddhists and it's sister religions.I do recommend this as a book to read. ... Read more

Product Description
"Nearing Death Awareness" explains the extraordinary behaviors often seen in those nearing the end of life, and how the experience of these can be changed from odd, bewildering moments into opportunities for spiritual refinement and growth. Mary Anne Sanders argues that dying is a complex experience for both the dying person and their family, friends and carers, and it involves all aspects of humanity: physical, mental and spiritual. The author explains the different types of Nearing Death Awareness (NDA), including visions, dreams and symbolic language, illustrated with accessible case examples from relatives and health care professionals who have witnessed NDA. She also offers practical guidance for family and carers of the dying about how to respond appropriately and supportively to NDA behavior, enabling the dying person to examine their identity, explore their spirituality and achieve self-acceptance. This sensitive and informative book will appeal to anyone who is likely to accompany a dying person, readers with an interest in spirituality, medical and social services professionals and students of palliative care. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Must Read for family with loved one near death
I wish I could of read this book when my dad was dying.It would have helped my family understand so much more and how to deal with it.

Enlightening
Wow.If only the book was available years ago...
This book will help equip all of us better and aide those we sit bedside with as they prepare to die.
Through sharing various examples of NDA's, we can begin to recognize and better understand what really is going on in the transition to death.
... Read more

Product Description
Although many books are written about bereavement, very few are written about the fear of one's own death and most of these focus chiefly on terminal illness. In contrast, this book looks at the ways in which the fear of death operates on a back burner throughout our lives and how it influences the choices we make and the paths that we follow in life. The author presents a `moral hierarchy' of behavior used in coping with the fear of death and dying. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Text Books at bookstore
From the title and the write up I was expecting something closer to the title.This is nothing more than a college text book, not what I was looking for.Thank you.
Jack Greenberg

An excelent extension of Becker
Langner takes a wide view of the problem of man and the constructive and destructive ways he has of dealing with it. We all know, consciously or unconsciously that we are going to die. We have no direct evidence of an afterlife. In various events throughout life we experience our limitedness and to a great or lesser extent, sense our own mortality. We may or may not grasp the concept of the permanent state of non-existence that is death, but for most of us we know on some level it is an end.
Langner makes an exhaustive list, leaving no stone unturned, of the ways the human has of coping with his own finitude and temporariness and explores them all, drawing on the great works of the anthropologist Becker and the sociologist Durkheim, not to mention the comical works of Woody Allen. It is a well rounded work on the problem of our consciousness of death and dying and a good read for any arm-chair philosopher, and as well, I must assume, any therapist.
My only criticism is the brevity of the chapter on Procreation, which by the authors own admission is a sensitive subject for him (he has 6 children!). ... Read more